• The idea here is Kenneth taking over the mantle of Mt Kenya leadership from Uhuru, and later from Raila as president.
• Gideon MOI stays in line to occupy the House on the Hill after either or both.
Image: FILE
I know the mention of the name Moi sends many into shivers and shock but taking a deep breath and reading through this may just be what the doctor ordered.
Deputy President William Ruto has thus far failed to have his 'dynasty vs hustler' narrative stick but he does have a large following that believes in the fallacy.
Those who loath the 'dynasties' are among those experiencing convulsions at the very mention of Gideon Moi. This loathing of a person merely because he comes from a certain family is wrong because it assumes a child must bear the sins of the father, which is wrong. Whatever sins late President Daniel Moi committed, his children cannot be made to pay the price for any of them.
Yes, there are those who can make a compelling case that they are beneficiaries of largesse obtained principally on account of being Moi's children. Fine.
But how different is that from any of those in politics today who have equally benefitted from being related, close to or cronies of the ruling class? Put another way, is there anyone in Kenya who can successfully mount and succeed in a presidential campaign merely using their meagre resources earned from their hard labour?
Some may say well, no but one has the option of marshalling enough resources from poor voters to ascend to the presidency.
If that is your response, then you have a thing or two to learn about government and politics. Government is a system of social control by which the right to make laws, and the concomitant right to enforce them is vested in a specific body or bodies.
The first instance of government known in history is ancient Athens, which came to be in the end of the 6th Century BCE. Although ancient Athens was not a country, its functionality as a city-state was no different than today’s country. In that earliest form of government, leadership of government was dominated by property-owning men.
Since the demise of ancient Athens, successive governments in what would later become countries have and will forever be dominated by men and now women of property. In other words, without money, you can only make noise in the streets or social media.
That does not mean engaging in blabber, be it in bars or on social media, has no purpose. It does, but it just dosen't rise to the level to displace those with the money and power in determining politics.
Essentially, those advancing the dynasties fallacy are just feeding the gullible with hogwash. In fact, the major proponent of this fake dynasty argument is someone who has nothing in common with the 'hustler' he is supposed to lead in contrast to the dynasties.
The next government, as it is shaping up, is going to be headed by President Uhuru Kenyatta's handshake partner Raila Odinga. Former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth is destined to be either his deputy or prime minister, if that position is created. Gideon Moi is either going to be Raila’s deputy or deputy prime minister.
The idea here is Kenneth assuming the mantle of Mt Kenya leadership from Uhuru, and later from Raila as president, while Gideon stays in line to occupy the House on the Hill after either or both.
As someone who has fought and paid dearly for his people’s liberation struggles, and as one who has on at least two occasions outright won the presidency but not been worn in, Raila succeeding Uhuru will be right on.
Kenneth is a Kikuyu who does not have what many fear about the community — the perceived tendency to only care about their own.
Gideon presents the assurance to all that living in the Rift Valley is nothing to be of concern to anyone, regardless of their ethnic background.
It is an assurance that does not flow naturally from the lips of the man from Sugoi, and this notwithstanding what he has said about the subject.
As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.
Samuel Omwenga is a legal analyst and political commentator